The Cardboard Box
by LoveofVelma
Summary: *Revised* While cleaning their room, Velma finds a cardboard box full of love letters written by Shaggy to a strange girl. Can Shaggy explain and save their new relationship?
1. Chapter 1

The Cardboard Box

Disclaimer: Scooby Doo and all related characters are owned by Hanna-Barbara, Warner Bros., and/or Cartoon Network. All other characters, names, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, locals is coincidental.

Chapter One: The Letters

For Norville, "Shaggy" to his friends, Rogers, sleep was hours away. The light brown haired man had never been good at writing essays, letters and such but with a pencil or pen and a blank sheet of paper, he could draw a picture that could make one cry or laugh depending on the subject matter. He was involved in such a picture, his hand flying over the page. He had plenty of time but wanted to finish as soon as possible.

A last bit of shading completed the drawing and Shaggy placed the pencil aside, judging the representation. Satisfied, he placed the illustration aside. He leaned back, stretching tired muscles. His bedroom was a typical bachelors pad, clothes, both clean and dirty, were thrown haphazardly around the room. A double bed hovered in one corner, so situated to avoid the morning sun that announced the new day through the one window. The covers lay willy-nilly over the bed, awaiting his return. The old pock marked five drawer chest sat against one wall. One large dog lay spreadeagled across the bed, one hind leg jerked spasmodically as if the canine were chasing a rabbit or in this case a Scooby Snack.

Selecting a notebook, Shaggy opened it to the first page. The blank page stared back. He picked up a sharpened pencil, tapping it on the desk as he contemplated what he should write. The best would be to begin at the beginning but where did it begin? Deciding to start with the gang he began to compose this, his first letter.

_Dear Terrie,_

_I hope this letter finds you healthy and happy. I miss your sweet smile and bright eyes. I wish I could be with you._

_I thought I'd tell you about the gang I belong to. My friends and dog make up all the members of 'The Gang'. We solve mysteries for different people. We named our gang, Mystery Inc., but everyone just calls us 'The Gang'._

_Fred is our leader and he and I are the same age. He's blond haired, (that means his hair is yellow)._

_Daphne is red haired and I think she likes Fred. A lot. She's sort of a co-leader._

_Velma (more about her later) is extremely smart and often solves the mystery before anyone._

_Scooby Doo is my dog or I'm his human, I've never figured out which._

_It's late here and I think I'll head off to bed now._

_Good night, Terrie._

_Shaggy_

He folded the paper carefully, placed the page in an envelope and dropped the envelope in the cardboard box. After storing the box on the top most shelf of the closet, he dressed for bed and pushed Scooby aside. "Move over, Scooby, make some room."

-Xxx

Five years later

"Shaggy, you have a choice, go get some pizzas or..." Velma laughed as Shaggy and Scooby ran out of the room so fast her hair flew up from the passing breeze. 'That should get them out of the way while I clean our room'.

It had become 'our' room the past Halloween. They had elected to stay in, passing out candy to the little visitors. The sweets and costumed travelers had come to an end at the same time. A movie and ice cream for dessert seemed the perfect combination to relax. Rampant hormones, overzealous kisses resulting in lustful embraces had ended in love making in her bedroom.

The lilliputian brunette had demanded a major cleaning. With Fred and Daph still gone on their honeymoon the cleanup chores had fallen to to the young couple. Between kisses, hugs and other pleasurable interruptions, it had taken two full days to complete the task.

A good dusting was the first chore followed by vacuuming. Being the organized person she was, she started in one corner moving clockwise around the room. Bookshelf, her chest of drawers, headboard, Shaggy's new chest, change the bedding and lastly the closet. It wasn't that she feared the closet but it would take the most time.

At least Shaggy had learned to pick up his dirty clothes. The problem was he just dumped them in the closet. The wardrobe was where the clothing monster lived. Shaggy and Scooby would have a pizza each while waiting for the pizzas they would be bringing home which gave her enough time to attack and destroy the monster lurking behind those doors.

Being diminutive did have its advantages but confronting the closet monster wasn't one of them. That was where she would need reinforcements in the form of a kitchen step stool. She opened the doors and pulled out the dirty clothes before climbing to the top step.

The top shelf was crowded with various bits of discarded items including a box of Christmas tree ornaments. The cardboard box was hidden behind several pieces of this collection. What called Velma's attention to the box was the happy face drawn on the side of the package. The plan was to move the box aside, wipe the shelf and return the box to its original setting. Unfortunately a little thing called gravity had not been accounted for. A misplaced push and the cardboard box became airborne, landing some five feet behind the stool.

Velma turned to see dozens upon dozens of letters scattered across the floor. "Oh, just great!"

Each envelope was dated, an one word seasonal weather report, and all had one name: Terrie. As Velma worked to put all the envelopes back in order and in the cardboard box Velma was bombarded with thousands of questions. Not the least of which was who was this Terrie and why hadn't the envelopes been mailed?

"Any one interested in Pizza?" Shaggy called when he and Scooby returned.

"Good, you're back and I'm famished. We can have lunch then you can help with the laundry." They hugged and lingered over a kiss. She was dying to ask but remained silent, enjoying the pepperoni flavored kiss.

-Xxx

Coolsville had benefited from excellent weather for several days. Warm days and cool nights were perfect for sleeping and other nocturnal activities. Velma loved this time of year, May flowers perfumed the air. It was also perfect to take a light blanket up on the roof to think about things. Things like a cardboard box and what it held.

One such night found Velma sitting on a worn flannel blanket watching the diamond like stars against a velvet sky. Her knees were drawn up, arms wrapped around her shins; she sat there thinking about how to ask Shaggy or stay quiet. She hadn't come to any decision when Shaggy appeared with two cups, handing Velma one.

"What brings you up here?"

Velma sipped at the hot cocoa, patting a spot beside her, "feet."

"feet?" Shaggy sat down, raising his eyebrows.

"Cold feet, actually." This brought another raising of eyebrows. "Shaggy, do you have a secret girlfriend?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

The Cardboard Box

Chapter Two: The Spirit of Love

Only a few silent moments have passed...

"You found the cardboard box, didn't you?" Shaggy dropped his head.

"Yes, but I wasn't spying, I was just dusting when I found it, it fell and all the envelopes fell out."

"I know, Velma. It's okay, I've wanted to tell you; just never found a good time."

Shaggy lifted his head, pointing into the sky, "see that star?"

"The North star?"

"I'm not a stargazer, I needed a star I could find easily. That is Terrie's star."

"Shaggy, who is Terrie?"

"My love child. Let's go downstairs, you deserve to know the whole story."

-Xxx

Velma, dressed for bed, lay next to Shaggy, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Thanks for the out but you do need to know Terrie's story. I have something to show you." He took a large manila envelope; pulling a picture from it, handing it to Velma. A little girl stared back, black eyes, black straight hair.

"I said she was my love child, that part is true but not in the manner you're probably thinking. You've seen the advertisements; send money to help children in some third world country, the organization arranges fresh water, food, medical, schooling. We had just finished a mystery and I had some spare money so I applied. I got that." he indicated the envelope. "I couldn't pronounce her real name, 'Terrie' was as close as I could get."

"What happened, Shaggy?" Velma didn't want to hear what was coming.

"She was four years old in that picture. Maybe she just wanted to see the big trucks when the Communist gorillas came to her little village with it's dirt roads, muddy water, run down shacks.

"The gorillas claimed there were National spies working for the C. I. A.. A shouting match escalated to a fire fight. When the gorillas left there were four bodies in the dirty street. Terrie was one of the four. A senseless death by a stray bullet, in a senseless battle that proved nothing, in a country that doesn't even exist on any map anymore.

"The organization sent a letter; I read it once and put it in the envelope you're holding. It said I didn't have to send money any more. It took several months for me to get my head around what had happened. I never was good at writing letters but I started to write. A letter per week except when we were on a mystery. Anyway, I guess you could say Terrie and those letters helped me work through my grief."

"How are you feeling, now?" Velma whispered. She wanted to hold him, kiss his tears away.

"I'm fine now. I don't know why I continue to write the letters but I do, every week."

"Shaggy, do you know why I love you?" She wiped the tears from his cheeks instead.

"Why?"

"You are forever showing me a side of yourself that I never knew existed."

"Would you like to read the letters?"

"If you don't mind."

-Xxx

She retrieved the box from the closet, moving it to her old room. Over the following days she randomly selected and read letters beginning with the first document. What she found was a story of a man going through a difficult time in his life. Half way through the box, his writing changed.

_Dear Terrie,_

_I've mentioned Velma several times but today while we were investigating a mystery, she jumped into my arms. What a feeling! She's always been a friend but I really like her. I hope she feels the same way._

_Shaggy_

Velma thought back, she had jumped into his arms on several occurrences. No way to determine which one he was referring to. She began to read each letter after that.

-Xxx

Fred and Daphne had returned from their honeymoon, tired but excited to be back home. That first night had been spent talking non stop.

Over the next few days plans for their own wedding only two weeks away took most of Velma's time but thoughts of the letters continued to intrude.

One night as they prepared for bed, Velma broached the subject of Terrie, "Shaggy, are you sure you're okay about Terrie?"

Crawling into bed, Shaggy replied. "Yes, but what have you got on your mind?"

"I was just wondering if you were ready to sponsor another child?" It felt good to snuggle in his arms. His touch could still raise goose bumps.

"I hadn't thought about it." Shaggy turned off the table lamp.

"I think _we_ should. And find a frame for the picture, it's time to bring it out of the bottom drawer." In the darkness, their lips met, melded.

-Xxx

Velma turned in the mirror, examining the perfectly fitted dress. Cute was indeed cute. Of course, that hadn't been her opinion before Shaggy. She had grown up knowing she wasn't one of the 'beautiful people'. That all changed with Shaggy declaring his love for her and convincing her she was beautiful if only in his eyes. It had taken a lot of persuasion.

She sat at her desk; there was enough time for a short letter. She took a pad of writing paper and pen and let the words flow from mind down her arm into the pen and onto the paper.

_Dear Elena,_

_I see you like running and singing. I've done my share of running and singing too._

_This is my wedding day! I'm marrying my best friend. My dress is all white with a small veil. It has lots and lots of lace..._

She wrote for another five minutes before carefully creasing the paper in thirds and placing it in the envelope to be mailed by Daphne while they were on their honeymoon.

Fred and Daphne had liked the idea of adopting a child so much that they had also applied and had received their welcome package with a picture of a boy just a few days before. The picture's of Terrie, Elena and Rico now adored the mantle over the fireplace.

"The limousine is here. It's time to go." Daphne entered the bedroom dressed in her bridesmaid dress.

Velma placed the letter in the new cardboard box that held two other letters. "I'm ready. Best not to keep them waiting."

"You look beautiful." Daphne observed as they passed the fireplace.

"I know. Thanks to Shaggy." Velma smiled. Nothing could tear them apart, no mystery, no ghost from the past; the spirit of their love would only make them stronger.

THE END


End file.
